I asked David Markowitz at ListenUp about the details of their service and how it compares with ACX. In addition to working with traditional publishers, they work with small publishers and authors on a fee basis, and can also handle distribution to Audible-and beyond-if you choose. One author wrote a guest post for me a couple years ago describing how much work he did to avoid the ACX path, with mixed results.Īnother option is now available to authors: ListenUp Audiobooks. But the costs can be prohibitive-usually in the low four figures if not more.ĪCX (owned by Amazon) has long been the go-to solution because it allows authors to find the voice and production talent they need on a royalty-share basis, rather than having to pay upfront, and it works hand-in-hand with Audible distribution-by far the largest retailer of digital audio in the United States.īut working with ACX can have drawbacks, including a 7-year-contract term and a high penalty on the royalty rate if you choose not to be exclusive to Audible. Audiobooks are experiencing some of the best growth in the book publishing industry sales were up by more than 24 percent in 2015 according to the Audiobook Publishers Association.Īlong with that growth has come increased interest from both traditional and independently published authors in getting their backlist books available in digital audio form.

Alternative to audible